16 April 2010

An Examination of Marc Lemire: Part IV

Oh, how we love freedom of information requests which result in information that was wholly unexpected.

A few months ago, we posted three articles concerning Marc Lemire in response to efforts by some of his supporters to turn Lemire into a free speech martyr with little or no involvement in organized racism. The first article we posted dealt with Lemire’s own documented history of making bigoted statements online and his seeming self-identification as a, “WN.” The second profiled his involvement in the Heritage Front, including his role as the last leader of the group. The final article examined the relationship that existed between Lemire and Ernst Zundel.

The preponderance of the evidence we published in those three articles would suggest to most rational people that Lemire isn’t the sainted hero he’s been made out to be by some of his supporters (except for the speechies, for whom no amount of evidence will be enough to convince them that Lemire isn’t the second coming of Giordano Bruno). If you oppose Sec. 13 and support Lemire’s efforts, then that’s fine, but don’t try to claim he’s something that he’s not.

Although we had been content with our efforts regarding Lemire, a recent re-examination of legal documents and evidence used in the Richardson and Kulbashian CHRT decision (found here) has provided us with cause to revisit Lemire’s involvement in organized racism.

On September 28, 2001, Terry Wilson of the London Police Service obtained a warrant to search the apartment of James Richardson. Richardson, who along with Alex Kulbashian, was a key member of the Tri-City Skins and co-founder of the Canadian Ethnic Cleansing Team (CECT). At that time Richardson was charged with uttering threats. Evidence gained as a result of this investigation was later used in the CHRT case against Richardson and Kulbashian. This evidence included computers seized during the investigation:

[80] A police crime analyst specializing in electronic evidence was involved in the search operation. He seized a computer found in the apartment, and once back at the police station, made a mirror image of its hard drive and examined its content. Amongst the directories on the drive was one that contained the logs of Internet relay chats in which the user of the computer had participated. These logs were organized into folders that were identified by the name of the participant who had initiated a particular chat session. The logs are set out in a manner similar to the script of a play. When participants “chat”, their name appears first, followed by the statement that they have typed in. Every participant’s comments can be viewed by all the persons taking part in the chat discussion.

A number of these chat logs were recovered from Richardson’s computer and used to identify him as, “WPCANADA” which was a name he used during the chats and which were found on business cards in Richardson’s residence:

[79] Mr. Wilson also found perforated sheets that are used to print business cards with a computer’s printer. The cards had already been printed. “Canadian Ethnic Cleansing Team! In partnership with the National Skinhead Front” was inscribed in the centre of each card. In the lower corner appeared the name “WPCanada”, followed by “Recruiting Director”. The cards had yet to be separated along their perforations, suggesting perhaps that they had been printed on the premises.

One of the chat logs recovered and used as evidence in the CHRT hearing was a conversation between Richardson (as “WPCANADA”) and a person using the name, “FdaJEWS.” We don’t think it would take much of a leap for our readers to discern what, the “f” of “FdaJEWS” stands for. And given the information found in the chat log, we here at ARC feel comfortable in stating our belief that the individual behind the “FdaJEWS” pseudonym is Marc Lemire.

Our evidence is as follows:

First, “FdaJEWS” writes at 01:49:02 of the chat that he had, “put a link to you guys on my website” referring to the CECT. At 01:51:14, “FdaJEWS” provides the link where “WPCANADA” could find the CECT link on “FdaJEWS” website. The link was http://www.freedomsite.org/test/chapters/ontario.html. A second link to an Alberta branch of the group is found at http://www.freedomsite.org/test/chapters/alberta.html. As Jason Kauppinen who posts on Free Dominion has noted, and as Mark and Connie Fournier have also noted, Freedomsite is Marc Lemire’s website. Lemire himself openly admits that Freedomsite his his project, and has not suggested that anyone other than himself is involved in the website. These links may also be found on the Heritage Front website which, until May 2002, was hosted on Lemire's Freedomsite.

Second, when “WPCANADA” asks “FdaJEWS” if he’s, “still with that broad” (01:55:47) ‘FdaJEWS” asks if he means, “melissa [sic]” (01:56:08). Marc dated Melissa Guille up until at least December, 2000.

Third, “WPCANADA” asks “FdaJEWS” what the hf (Heritage Front) is up to (01:44:59), ‘FdaJews” mentions how the Heritage Front was denied the opportunity to participate in the adopt-a-highway program (01:45:38). As we’ve established on this blog, and as has been determined by Justice Blais of the Federal Court, Lemire was the last president of the Heritage Front:

[35]Furthermore, Wolfgang Droege and Marc Lemire, two successive presidents of the Heritage Front, spent a lot of time in Mr. Zündel's house. Mr. Lemire, the last known president of the Heritage Front, was working for Mr. Zündel part-time, and then full-time for many years until Mr. Zündel left for the United States.

Finally, “FdaJEWS” provided “WPCANADA” with inside information regarding a Paul Fromm meeting (02:01:27) featuring Gunter Deckert (02:03:25). Fromm and Lemire have been allies for many years.

We think it would be fair to presume that “FdaJEWS” is, in fact, Marc Lemire based on the information provided in the chat log. And if it is Lemire, then the following information is perhaps noteworthy:

Lemire was involved in friendly inter-movement chats with people involved in an organization called the Canadian Ethnic Cleansing Team. Lemire also admits to adding links to the CECT to his own website and that he is open to pooling resources with the CECT. Lemire also invites “WPCANADA” and people that he trusts to a secret Paul Fromm meeting featuring the former head of the far-right German NPD, Holocaust denier, and convicted criminal Gunter Deckert.

He had a relationship with Alex Kalbashian whom he stated, "has helped me out in the past.”

Lemire is using an online pseudonym in “FdaJEWS” which could easily be considered to be hateful.

Refers to his girlfriend as, “my bitch” and suggests scamming a woman he’s dating for her money and then taking off.

When he mentions the Heritage Front, “FdaJEWS” refers to it as, “us.”

Anyways, we’ll provide the chat log that we’ve cited in it’s entirety now (any hyperlinks have been added by us to help explain some of the comments that were made in the chat log). We find it to be an especially interesting read.

The ARC Collective

Mission Statement

A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.

For Those Who Wish To Contact Us

Our contact email is arc(dot)collective200(at)gmail(dot)com for anyone interested in getting in touch with us.

Awards

Best Political Blog: Third Place

Race Traitor by Elisa Hategan

At age 16, Elisa Hategan was an alienated runaway who became recruited into Canada's most powerful white supremacist movement, the Heritage Front. She was groomed by top leaders to become a rising star of the extremist far-right movement. An errand girl for notorious Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, she was a witness to the illicit activities of an undercover CSIS agent and co-founder of the Heritage Front. At age 18, she turned against the group and spied on them for several months before testifying in court and going into hiding.